Extracting precious metals from their ores.



difficulties ex )er'ienced consists in the refrac- T 0 all whom iii-may concern:

RAY, I. citizen of the Argentine Republic, and .a resident at Wall Street Exchange-Building, in the city of New York, State of New York,

.to the several processes of lixiviat1on,imbil i- -orin compound by sulfuric acid or by any oi UNITED sTATns JOSE BAXERES DE ALZUGARAY, OF NEW "r'OltlL V XTRACTING PRECIOUS METALS FBOT'E THEY? 'CQ LTYH -Beit known that 1, Josh B. DE ALZUGA- have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in Extracting Precious Metals From Their Ores. i

My invention relates to an improvement in the art of extracting gold, platinum metals and silvenfrom, ores containing them, by the use of hydrogen iluorid; and it consistsmore particularly in the method l'liavel jliscow ered for utilizing this agent to the best advantage. .v

i In the practice of the methods now com-- monly employed in the recovery of precious metals from theirores, one ofthe greatest tory nature 0 most ores, which produces con-- siderable loss in the saving ot the metals comhinedwithsulfur, tellurium, silicon and other n'ietalloids.

In utilizing this invention, to set the precious metals contained in the several mineral conilnnations free, and therefore easily amenable tion and smelting, I treat the orcs reduced to coarse powder by means ot hydrogen tluoru'l produced by the decomposition of any 5;-

the salts or compounds evolving sulfuric acid. To treat any kind of ore containing 3118-- cious metals by the foregoing method, 1 place the ore in any appropriate furnace or vessel and mix it, intimately with a suitable PIQPOY- tion of fluorspar, or of any lluorin compound and with a sulfate or compound evolving sul furic acid, which reacts on the tluorin compound, evolving h drogen liuorid which reacts on the ore, .isintegrating it with the evolution of silicon fluorid, which can he recovered by passing the gaseous compound through a condenser in contact with water, hydrofluorsilicic acid or ivith a suitable 1'e agent. I i i Instead "of evolvin hydrogen iluorid within the mass of ore and the-mixture of reagents as heretofore described, the same result may be attained by no gaseous hydrogen 1 Specification-0'1 Letters .Pate'nt.-

7 Application filed August 16,

metals by .rntontecl Tune 00.,

1905 Serial no, 274L 50;

[ja ler iluorid in an iiu lemunleni apgnuatus and ing it to pass through the anus; oi W treated by 'tliisuwtlioil.

Once the ore has been suinuitu io to the action of hydrogen iluorid as deerrilc-m metallic conteuis ares/gt iro (1 to cry oi the precious 1m ale l) pix-messes, hcconus an easy matter In the practice of this inve method eau he worked wit?" ul ilu m ay he dispensed with.

Lion which consists;

lloat ii claim as my i'ilvo i. The improved prone m suliiect'u ores contain to the no 10 of .lllftlTOgfill lluo lfl 70 gaseous stuthus 1 ,lli'.l1'+iiill the in from ll .il iromlii atiou with p L nil-uttl thereforeeasy to 1 ol' the usual methods. 2. The im juovr pieces containing gold silver, platinum ol' the pluluiuu g iup, by mixing a suitable proportion ol' :5 hydrogen evolving compound. l'oroied i a of lluorln and a sulfuric acid eve 1-2;

pound.

3. The improved mo" l UR recovering: therefrom, \vi: with a suitabh pound and pound, iel1t Alone ave ,lklllflfl' like i e, iiu-.. ri'fl evolving t,

and hydrogen and subsequently rm'ereriug t:

any of the usuai l: The improved plu'c'u containing prei'rious m in subjecting the ores in a hydrogen iluorid in the gasvous rendering the metals free i. nation with etory ole. fereeas lo oviver by an 'snetholils.

I). 'ihe method \illlijll. consists in treatine" ores wi$h hyrogenfiuorid in jhc gaseous In testimony whereof I hzwisigned my state to evolve silicon fiuorid, pcgsmg the name to this specification in the Prcscnvo ul' silicon fluorid through-c condcz seljm c011- two subscribing witncsscs.

. tact with water to form hydg ofluorsilicics JOSE BA XERES DE ALZUGiiRAY.

acid, and re eating the process 0 -;c0mbin- Witnesses: E. LESTER,

- QRAWLEY.

ing the hy rofiuursilicic acid with su 

